Hayaa A Lost Art (Golden Words of Allah – Ep 72)

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” (Surah An-Nur, 24:30)

By Abdullahi Yusuf

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All perfect praise is due to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, the Lord of the Worlds. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh), is His slave and final Messenger.

Hayaa is one of the most precious qualities of a Muslim, It is a light that adorns the heart, refines behavior and shields the soul from corruption. In today’s world, we see this noble virtue fading fast, especially among Muslim youth who are growing up in a culture that glorifies self-exposure and shamelessness.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Every religion has its distinct characteristic, and the distinct characteristic of Islam is hayaa.” (Ibn Majah, Hadith 4181)

Hayaa means modesty, it is more than just modesty in dress, it is modesty in the gaze, in speech, in actions and in the thoughts of the heart. It is a believer’s natural sense of shame before Allah, a barrier that prevents sin and nurtures humility.

In another Hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Hayaa does not bring anything except goodness.”(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6117; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 37)

Hayaa comes from the root word hayat, meaning “life.” Just as the body dies without breath, faith withers without modesty. Hayaa is the feeling that prevents a person from doing what displeases Allah, out of reverence and self-respect.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Hayaa is part of faith, and faith leads to Paradise. Shamelessness is part of vulgarity, and vulgarity leads to Hell.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2009)

True Hayaa grows from awareness that Allah sees us even when no one else does. It is nurtured by prayer, Qur’an, and keeping righteous company. The Prophet (pbuh) was described as being “more modest than a veiled virgin girl,” and his companions reflected that humility in their conduct and speech.

The Qur’an commands: “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” (Surah An-Nur, 24:30)

And immediately after, Allah addresses the believing women with the same command, linking inner purity to outer dignity.

Reviving Hayaa means returning to that prophetic standard, guarding our hearts, lowering our gaze, dressing with dignity, speaking with respect, and carrying ourselves as servants of Allah, not seekers of the world’s approval.

Hayaa is not weakness; it is strength of the soul. It protects the believer from disgrace and raises them in honour before Allah.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Faith consists of more than seventy branches, and Hayaa is a branch of faith.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 9; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 35)

May Allah restore in our hearts the light of Hayaa, Amin.

And Allah knows best.

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